PURPOSE OPERATION OPTIONS COMMAND LINES USEFUL LINKS
One liner: Attempts to determine if the SSN is a valid issued number. May not work after 2011 because the algorithm was changed. In other words, SSA screwed up the algorithm.
Determine if an SSN is valid and has been issued. THIS PROGRAM DOES NOT PROVIDE THE ISSUE YEAR FOR AN SSN. Beginning sometime in 2011, Social Security numbers will not be issued with the traditional state/group number sequences. This will make it harder to verify a valid number. However, a realistic assumption can be made that a social security number of a person over a few years of age, had a number issued via the old(er) algorith which this program abides by.
The program take either manual input from the user, or a file containing SSN's and attempts to validate if the SSN has been issued, and in which state it was most likely issued.
To perform the validation, it uses a number of tables referenced on the Social Security web site. These tables are frequently updated on the website, and as such, the program may not have the most current ones implemented.
There is an option (-g) which will allow the user to point to a more recent "group" file. This file can be downloaded from the Social Security web site, but requires a special format. (described below).
As of June 2011, the program will also take a list of credit card number and attempt to verify that the number complies with the correct algorithm and issuing company. It will process either a single command line number, or a file containing numbers as the first field.
The program takes an SSN (wheter input manually, or in a text file provided by the user), and splits it into its three components.
Since June 2011 the Social Security administration is using a "random" generation algorithm.
see explanaion here
http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/425/~/determining-social-security-numbers
to assign numbers. This means that the state identification (first three digits) is
no longer valid. For this reason, the program display of the state of issue will be invalid if
the number was issued after Aug. 2011. It may also misinterpret the validity of the number. So BE WARNED.
Within each area, the group number (middle two (2) digits) range from 01 to 99 but are not assigned in consecutive order. For administrative reasons, group numbers issued first consist of the ODD numbers from 01 through 09 and then EVEN numbers from 10 through 98, within each area number allocated to a State. After all numbers in group 98 of a particular area have been issued, the EVEN Groups 02 through 08 are used, followed by ODD Groups 11 through 99.
This chart below shows how Group numbers are assigned:| ODD - 01, 03, 05, 07, 09 |
EVEN - 10 to 98 |
| EVEN - 02, 04, 06, 08 |
ODD - 11 to 99 |
Within each group, the serial numbers (last four (4) digits) run consecutively from 0001 through 9999.
After the SSN is split, the state or area is checked. www.socialsecurity.gov/foia/stateweb.html to determine what state has issuing authority for that number.
Then it checks to see that the group number is valid for that state. http://www.ssa.gov/employer/highgroup.txt. This chart is constantly changing, and as a result, if the program determines that the SSN is invalid, it might be wise for the user to manually confirm at (privacy.cs.cmu.edu/dataprivacy/projects/ssnwatch) the recent issuance of any particular number. Current group values can be downloaded from this site, and input to the program using the -g option. (see below).
If the state and group numbers are found to be valid, then the last check is to see if the last 4 digits are valid. Usually all are deemed valid, unless the group number is the same as the highest current group. In this case, it is possible that all the numbers for that group have not yet been issued. This is the case where the user should manually check the validity of the SSN, using the cmu.edu website shown above. (If this is the case, the user will see the word CONFIRM in the output line to indicate that the 4 digits may part of the current highest group value).
If all the tests are passed, the output indicates a valid SSN, if the tests fail, the output indicates an invalid SSN.
In all instances the output results should only be considered an estimate based on the current tables (highest group, and state issued) built into the program, and should not be 100% relied upon unless checked by other means.
topThe program can take a list or single credit card number (properly formed) and attempt to show if it is a valid number (based on an appropriate algorithm), and/or display the issuing authority, IE: AMEX, VISA, MC, Discover, etc.
If the number calculates to a number from one of the companies, but calculates to an invalid number, then a value of (_X) is added to the name in the output. This syntax will become evident when the program is run.
-?: Get a help screen.
-i + ssnfilename: Filename containing SSN's to check. The format of this file should be a plain text file with the SSN's one per line. They should be formatted as: 123-45-6789. The (-) delimeter can be any seperator except a space. There doesn't need to be a delimeter, and the SSN's can be in the form of 123456789 also. But the requirement of one per line is mandatory, and no header or footer lines, and no leading spaces on the lines.
123-45-6789 345-67-1234 001-55-0999
-C: The numbers provided are credit card numbers, and attempt to treat them accordingly. The default is to assume they are SSN's
-g + groupfilename: A file, with informatin from http://www.ssa.gov/employer/highgroup.txt containing the most current highest group values. The file should be a text file, with nothing in it except the group table itself. The headers and footers should be eliminated. (Cut and past from the above mentioned page, and create a plain text file as:
001 02 002 02 003 98 004 06 005 06 006 04 007 04 008 88 009 86 010 88 011 88 012 88 013 88 014 88 015 88 016 88 017 88 018 88 019 88 020 88 021 86 022 86 023 86 024 86 025 86 026 86 027 86 028 86 029 86 030 86 031 86 032 86 033 86 034 86 035 70 036 70 037 70 038 70 039 68 040 08 041 08 042 06 043 06 044 06 045 06 046 06 047 06 048 06The program has a built in group list, but it may not be the latest. The only problem the user will have in not using the latest highest list, is that some (most recent issued) numbers will inadvertenly be identified as invalid. Necessitating a manual check.
ssn_valid
nothing is put on the command line. The program interacts with the
user, and asks for SSN's. The user inputs one ssn at a time, and
obtains a result. To end the program, the user enters a blank line
when asked for the ssn.
ssn_valid 123-45-6789
an explicit SSN is provided on the command line. a single check is
made, and the program exits.
ssn_valid -i ssns.txt
the user inputs an input file containing the list of ssn's to check.
The program outputs the results to the screen. The output can be
redirected to an output file > outputfile.
(ssn_valid -i ssns.txt >
outputfile).
The format for all the outputs is a single line text output with the following fields.
1. the literal SSN:SSN: 001-02-1234 New Hampshire VALID=YES CONFIRM SSN: 001-10-1234 New Hampshire VALID=YES SSN: 001-11-1234 New Hampshire VALID=NO SSN: 005-02-1234 Maine VALID=YES SSN: 005-06-1234 Maine VALID=YES CONFIRM SSN: 005-11-1234 Maine VALID=NO SSN: 014-02-1234 Massachusetts VALID=NO SSN: 368-31-1234 Michigan VALID=YES CONFIRM SSN: 368-02-1234 Michigan VALID=YES SSN: 368-97-1234 Michigan VALID=NO